Dorset Weekend 21 - 23 September 2001


Portland Bill lighthouse in the fading light

After an early morning start on Friday 21st September our group met up at Langston harbour just off the M27 in Hampshire. It immediately became apparent that this was a very good choice as our first migrant, a Common Redstart, was visible within three minutes of pulling in to the car park! A wonderful afternoon was spent around Langston pushing our first day list to 58 species. The Whinchat, Stonechat and Wheatear were absolutely everywhere in huge and staggering numbers.

After Langston we set off to Portland Bill in Dorset where we quickly checked out the tip of the Bill in the fading light. We checked in to our Portland Heights hotel where we enjoyed the first of many wonderful meals.


Out hotel and...


The magnificent view from the bar and restaurant

On Saturday, after a first light start to check the bushes around the hotel for migrants, we returned for a huge breakfast and then left for our first call - Lodmoor RSPB Reserve just to the east of Weymouth on the A353. Our group spent a very enjoyable walk around the whole reserve in very warm sunshine. The Dartford and Cetti's Warblers being the highlights. After a packed lunch supplied to us by the hotel,? we headed back west towards Weymouth and Radipole Lakes RSPB reserve. Your Web Author was especially struck by Radipole a it is a fantastic example of a nature reserve maintained in the very centre of Weymouth town. Once again this proves the theory that, if you build the right habitat, the birds will arrive. Again superb views of Cetti's Warblers and Kingfishers were had by most of our group (sorry Steve!). Late afternoon saw us back on the tip of Portland seawatching.in the afternoon sun.

The Sunday saw our group split up to make our way home. The majority of the group headed for a boat trip to Brownsea Island of off Poole while your Web Author called in to Durlston Country Park just south of Swanage. This turned out to be a park that is well worth a visit by anyone heading down that way. Although not lucky enough to see one in the limited time, the park is very well known for its passage migrant Wryneck in September. The missing Wryneck were made up for by the sight of a hunting Peregrine Falcon within feet of the cliffs.

A fantastic weekend was had by all of our group members that joined us in our annual trip.

Finally a huge and sincere thank you must go to Sue and Stephen Anderson for the superb organisation and the choice of the excellent hotel. The logistics of caring for our group and the taking care of everything by Sue and Steve meant that we didn't have to worry about a single thing except where our next migrant bird was going to be found!

(See below images for species list)


Arrival at Langston Harbour


Lodmoor with its extensive reed beds


With the houses of Weymouth in the background the
birds get on with their daily lives


The Geese fly in to Lodmoor


The neat centre at Radipole Lakes


Thanks to the RSPB you would not know that you
were in the middle of a busy town

Species Report

  1. Great Crested Grebe
  2. Cormorant
  3. Little Grebe
  4. Little Egret
  5. Grey Heron
  6. Avocet
  7. Bar-headed Goose
  8. Greylag Goose
  9. Canada Goose
  10. Brent Goose
  11. Mute Swan
  12. Coot
  13. Common Shelduck
  14. Gadwall
  15. Common Teal
  16. Shoveler
  17. Pochard
  18. Mallard
  19. Wigeon
  20. Tufted Duck
  21. Pintail
  22. Gannet
  23. Shag (x4 at Portland)
  24. Common Buzzard (by Durlston)
  25. Sparrowhawk
  26. Merlin
  27. Kestrel
  28. Peregrine Falcon
  29. Water Rail (x2 at Lodmoor)
  30. Moorhen
  31. Oystercatcher
  32. Grey Plover
  33. Common Snipe
  34. Black-tailed Godwit
  35. Bar-tailed Godwit
  36. Curlew
  37. Common Redshank
  38. Greenshank
  39. Turnstone
  40. Knot
  41. Wood Sandpiper
  42. Little Stint
  43. Dunlin
  44. Curlew Sandpiper
  45. Ruff
  46. Great Black-backed Gull
  47. Lesser Black-backed Gull
  48. Herring Gull
  49. Black-headed Gull
  1. Sandwich Tern
  2. Common tern
  3. Wood Pigeon
  4. Collared Dove
  5. Kingfisher
  6. Great Spotted Woodpecker
  7. Green Woodpecker
  8. Swallow
  9. House Martin
  10. Meadow Pipit
  11. Pied Wagtail
  12. Wren
  13. Robin
  14. Common Redstart
  15. Wheatear
  16. Whinchat
  17. Stonechat
  18. Blackbird
  19. Pied Wagtail
  20. Grey Wagtail
  21. Rock Pipit
  22. Garden Warbler
  23. Blackcap
  24. Dartford Warbler (at Lodmoor)
  25. Sedge Warbler
  26. Cetti's Warbler
  27. Reed Warbler
  28. Common Whitethroat
  29. Willow Warbler
  30. Chiffchaff
  31. Marsh Tit
  32. Coal Tit
  33. Great Tit
  34. Blue Tit
  35. Long-tailed Tit
  36. Nuthatch
  37. Magpie
  38. Carrion Crow
  39. Starling
  40. Goldfinch
  41. Jackdaw
  42. Raven
  43. Greenfinch
  44. Chaffinch
  45. Linnet
  46. Reed Bunting

Portland Bill, Saturday afternoon: Your Treasurer and Web Author
?try to decide on the exact differences between a Shag and a Cormorant at three miles!

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